How to post a bigger picture on instagram
How to Fit the Whole Picture on Instagram
BorderJulia Enthoven
4 min
This article shows you how to fit the whole picture on Instagram. If you have a full portrait (9:16) image or video or a landscape (16:9) image or video, you can fit the whole picture in your Instagram post by following this tutorial.
Instagram has a maximum aspect ratio of 4:5 on portrait posts (four pixels wide for every five pixels tall). Instagram’s restriction reduces the number of very tall images that take up a lot of vertical space in the feed. Although it’s nice that Instagram keeps users from publishing massive, obtrusive posts, the 4:5 limit makes it difficult to post a whole vertical picture or video that you shot on your phone.
Here's what your tall photos will look like on Instagram without added borders.If you want to fit your whole picture on Instagram but it is taller than the 4:5 aspect ratio, you need to modify your image before posting. Otherwise, Instagram will automatically crop your image to a maximum of 4:5. I recommend the Kapwing resizer as it allows you to add white space on either side to bring your image to the required aspect ratio. In this article, I’ll explain how to fit the whole picture on Instagram in three simple steps:
- Upload picture
- Resize to 4:5
- Download and Post to Instagram
Step 1: Upload Picture
Start by opening the Kapwing’s Resizer tool on your phone or computer. Upload your image file from camera roll or import it from a URL. Kapwing supports images, videos, and GIFs, so you can use it to resize for any kind of media.
The video resizer tool in KapwingOnce your picture loads into the editor, you’ll be taken into the Kapwing Studio Editor where you'll see a preview of your image in the center of the screen.
Step 2: Resize to 4:5
In the Output Size section, select the 4:5 option. This allows your photo to take up maximum vertical space in the Instagram feed without getting sized down. There is a resizing option for Instagram, 1:1, but this shrinks your image to fit in the default square shape.
Resize the image to 4:5 using the button in the Output Size listOnce you have selected the size option, Kapwing adds white padding to either side of your image to make it fit the 4:5 aspect ratio. You can change this white background to any color you want so that it stands out in the Instagram feed.
Step 3: Download and Post
Click the red Export Image button at the top of the screen. After a few moments of processing, Kapwing makes your resized 4:5 picture or video available for download. Whether you're using a desktop computer, iPhone, Android, or tablet you'll be able to instantly download the image to your photo gallery once published.
If you're not signed into a Kapwing account, sign in or sign up using your Google or Facebook account – once you've signed into a Kapwing account, the watermark in the lower right corner will be removed from your final image.
Open the Instagram app and upload your picture. You’ll notice that Instagram crops the picture to square by default, but you can click the expand arrows or pinch the image in the lower left to fit the whole picture on Instagram. When you publish it, Instagram will resize to image width to fit the screen, the white image background will blend in with Instagram’s white background, and your whole picture will appear on Instagram with no cropping.
Note: You can also choose a black background, if you and your followers use Instagram in Dark Mode.
Conclusion
This tutorial shows you a workaround for posting full portrait pictures and videos on Instagram. You can use Kapwing’s Resizer to post multiple images with different sizes on Instagram, add a thin white border around your media, and publish TikTok and Snap videos.
I hope that it helps speed up your social media workflow and enables you to post your beautiful and fun candid moments to Instagram.
For more information on how to resize a video for Instagram, check out this video tutorial (we give you the best sizes for each type of video too!):
Check back in at the Kapwing Resources page or our YouTube channel for other content creation tips and tutorials! And remember to tag us @KapwingApp whenever you share your content on social media– we love to see what our creators are passionate about!
Related Articles:
- How to Post a TikTok on Instagram
- How to Post a Portrait Photo or Video on Instagram
- Resize an Animated GIF
You can now post full-size landscape and portrait photos on Instagram
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Hip to be square no longer
By Ariha Setalvad
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Visit the Eiffel Tower in Paris, as I did last year, and you’ll see tourists contorting themselves to try and fit the length of the monument into Instagram’s iconic square frame. Even after Instagram began letting you shoot in landscape mode, you could still only share your work as a square. That all changes today: Instagram is updating its Android and iOS apps to enable native support for full-size landscape and portrait photos and video inside the app. They'll run alongside the traditional square photos, which will remain the default for photos shared on Instagram.
When you access your photo gallery from within the updated app, you’ll now see a format button above the camera roll. You can use this button to toggle between square and full-size images. From there, you can zoom in and out to choose the best crop for your photos.
Instagram used square photos to distinguish itself
Initially, Instagram adopted square photos as a way of distinguishing itself from other photo-sharing apps.
But they were also a practical choice. They helped provide a more consistent look as you scrolled down the feed, and they also looked better on smaller phone screens.
But as screen sizes have increased, and the platform has evolved to host more serious photography, the restrictive format has left many of the app’s 300 million monthly users frustrated. According to Instagram’s own research, 20 percent of uploaded photos have been modified to fit into the square frame, often using a third-party app that adds a "letterbox" effect to enable the sharing of landscape pictures. "For the average person, one in every five stories in their feed looks like it's natively supported in our app," says Ashley Yuki, an Instagram product manager. "Which is not great."
Even as third-party apps like Square Sized and Squaready have gained popularity, they leave dead space on the edges of photos, making them smaller and harder to see. It can also be annoying and time-consuming to have to use a separate app to prep your photos beforehand.
It's annoying to have to use a separate app to prep your photos beforehand
Members of Instagram’s large fashion community will likely be among those celebrating the freedom this update brings, as will anyone who has experienced the trauma of having to choose whether to crop out either their new haircut or their new shoes. But square photos, as the signature of Instagram, will remain the default mode.
The update also unifies Instagram's photo and video filters, so now any filter can be applied to your post regardless of its format. It will be available to both iOS and Android users today.
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How to upload a photo without cropping to Instagram - we comply with the requirements and use applications for posting
Instagram's habit* of cropping photos in the most inappropriate places is frustrating.
The user uploads a photo, and Insta boldly compresses and cuts off half of the picture. As a result, heads, legs, parts of the landscape remain behind the scenes, and I only want to delete such a post. Previously, to place a photo without cropping, you had to use additional software, but now there are other ways that we will talk about in our article.
Why Instagram* crops photos
This social network has several reasons to crop users' photos. She tries to adapt pictures so that they look on vertical phone screens, even if the photo has a strange aspect ratio. And besides, network owners want to save space on servers.
The main reason why a social network crops photos is to equalize the conditions for all users so that photos of any size and quality look attractive, and all pages are the same on the social network on all devices.
Insta by default crops photos that do not meet its requirements. If the image width is between 320 and 1080 px and the aspect ratio is between 1.
91:1 and 4:5, then the image is published unchanged. If the resolution is lower, Instagram* increases it. If more than 1080 px, then it compresses to 1080 px.
By default, Instagram* scales the photo and takes the center of the frame for publication. If you click on the zoom icon in the lower left corner, then Instagram * will take the entire frame for publication.
When you click on the zoom icon, the entire photo is in the frame. The frame can be sent to Insta without editing the edges if the aspect ratio is 16:9. Before publishing, you can see how it will look likeRecommended reading: Optimal image sizes for social networks: cheat sheet.
How to post a photo to Instagram* without cropping
If the photo falls within the proportions Instagram* needs, then Instagram* will not crop part of the image.
| Format | Approval | |
| Avatar photo | square, 1:1 | optimal 160 x 160 px, minimum 110 x 110 px, maximum 180 x 180 px |
| Post photo | horizontal 1.91:1, vertical 4:5, square 1:1 | horizontal, 1080 x 566 px, vertical, 1080 x 1350 px, square, 1080 x 1080 px |
| Photos for stories and IGTV | vertical 9:16 orientation | 1080 x 1920 px |
Official information from the support of Instagram* informs that the photo will be published in the best possible resolution with a width of up to 1080 pixels. This rule does not depend on whether the device is Android or iOS.
If the photo has a width of 320 to 1080 pixels, then its original size is preserved, but only in cases where the aspect ratio meets parameters from 1.91:1 to 4:5. In this case, the height should be from 566 to 1350 pixels, and the width should be 1080 pixels.
If you want to share a photo with a different extension, Instagram* will crop the photo to the correct size.
If the photo is smaller, then Instagram* will increase the width to 320 pixels. If more than 1080 pixels, then the width will be reduced to 1080 pixels.
There are several ways to add a full photo to Instagram*. To do this, select one of the options:
- do not use the background;
- use a vertical photo;
- present the photo as a panorama.
Let's consider these placement methods in more detail.
How to upload a photo without a background
Previously, all images of non-standard sizes were published by the social network with a white background behind the frame.
This was necessary if the width or height of the photo was not enough. Now you can do without it. Instagram* allows you to post pictures that do not fit the size requirements. When publishing, an automatic transparent background will appear on the image.
There will be no background if the photo is scaled when publishing. After the frame is selected, it remains to decide on the part of the picture that you want to publish. But there is a nuance - sometimes important parts of the photo disappear, because Insta crops them.
Half of the text at the bottom of the frame and part of the character's head are missing from the photo. But there is no transparent background on the sides. It is worth scaling if the essence of the image is in the center of the frame, and there is nothing important at the edgesRecommended reading: How to make your own stickers in Telegram.
How to upload if the photo is vertical
Not so long ago, Instagram* introduced the ability to post vertical long photos.
A special button has appeared in the interface that allows you to stretch the image on the sides and add a transparent background there. The photo will be in full size, but with frames.
How to work with a panoramic photo
Instagram* will not allow you to post a panoramic photo in the feed because it is too long horizontally. To upload a frame to the social network completely, without cropping along the edges of half the frame, you need to use special software.
There are 2 simple programs that will help you with this - SwieablePanorama (iOS only) and InSwipe Panorama for Instagram* (works on Android and iOS). In any of the programs, a photo is easily loaded and cut into several identical blocks. They can be uploaded to Insta in the form of a carousel. This is a rather unusual and winning way to publish a panorama without losing the quality and meaning of the image.
Recommended reading: How to make an attractive cover for a VK group.
How to adjust the size to Insta
To make the image meet the requirements of the social network, you can use special applications. Finding software that will help you crop a photo or fit it to the right size is not difficult.
Crop yourself from a computer
In order for the image to be displayed on the network completely, you can crop it manually, through the program. Almost any graphic editor will help with this, even the simplest Paint will cope with the task of changing the size in pixels or as a percentage.
Here are a couple of programs through which photos are usually cropped:
- Photoshop .
A huge number of functions and possibilities for editing. The only difficulty is that you will have to install this rather big software and understand its intricacies. - Lightroom . Here you crop the layers, choose the aspect ratio, adjust the sharpness. You can apply the settings of one photo to the next, which will be processed later.
- Canva . A great online program for creating covers, pictures and more. You can not only compress the size or change the aspect ratio of the frame, there are many possibilities. Available effects, insert any text or background, elements and inserts.
The main thing is to remember the proportions and the maximum possible expansion of the image, depending on its purpose. After all, it can be square, vertical or panoramic.
The easiest way to check and adjust the aspect ratio is in PaintCompress the size to fit
You can use any online program, including Canva.
Through them you can upload photos, resize and edit. After such processing, Instagram* will not cut the edges.
Blogs usually prepare many photos at once to provide a page with content for weeks and months. To do this, it is convenient to use SMMplanner delayed posting, where posts are posted in advance, and then become visible to subscribers exactly on schedule.
To understand this feature, we advise you to study Delayed Posting to Instagram* from a computer. Here we talked about how to work with it, how to create and plan Stories, how to publish carousels and much more.
Third party apps to share from your phone
Another way to upload full size photos is to use dedicated apps. Below are the most popular and simple among the programs.
InstaSize
Software for Android and iOS phones. There are both standard functions and other features - change the size, edge, frame characteristics. You can edit a photo for publication, create a collage or story.
In addition - the function of zooming pictures. You can pull up a photo from the gallery, clouds, or take a picture right now.
In addition, the following functions are available:
- rotate or resize the photo;
- use the background - over a hundred free options;
- filters - if there are not enough of those that are in Insta;
- blocks of text - insert, change slope, location;
- stickers - the user has more than 400 different stickers to choose from.
Run the program and select a picture to share. A light frame will appear in the frame, under which you need to fit the image.
After that, the frame can be published - Instagram * will no longer crop it.
We looked at the main ways you can post a photo to Instagram* without cropping half of the photo. All of them are easy to use, because the main thing is just to keep the proportion and resolution of the frame. And through the program, you can further configure filters, add frames and inscriptions, in general, fully prepare the photo for publication in all its beauty. If you know other ways - tell us about it.
The article has been updated. First published: January 26, 2021
How to create a mosaic on Instagram*
October 27, 2017 Web services
Turning your Instagram* into a work of art is easy. It is enough to evenly cut the photo you have taken.
What kind of mosaic?
Look at what @micahnotfound or @c.syresmith are doing with their accounts. You can do the same.
How to do?
Desktop editors
You can cut a photo into equal parts in any graphics editor such as Photoshop or GIMP.
Just open the photo in the editor, divide it into equal square parts and save each part as a separate file.
Photoshop
From the View menu, choose Show→Grid. Go to the Edit menu and open Preferences → Guides, Grid and Slices.
You can divide the image into parts depending on the panorama you want to create. Just enter the desired value in the "Internal division by" field.
Now that your image is divided into parts, select and copy the desired fragments into separate files.
GIMP
Go to the View menu and enable the Show Grid and Snap to Grid options. Then click on "Image", select "Adjust Grid" and split the image into parts.
Select parts of an image one by one, copy and save to separate files using File → New → From Clipboard. Use the hotkeys Ctrl + C and Shift + Ctrl + V to speed up the process.
Web services
Divide a photo into equal parts using web services such as Griddrawingtool.com and Imgonline.com. It's faster and easier.
When the image is cut, you can start uploading. Just remember to upload the bottom right piece of the photo first and the top left piece last.
Mobile Apps
There are a large number of mobile apps that create and upload mosaics to Instagram*. With them, you do not have to bother working in graphic editors.
iOS
Grid-it
This application can cut apart photos you have taken or images in your gallery. True, you will have to upload fragments to Instagram * one at a time.
Download
Price: Free
Grids
Another application for splitting photos into parts. You won't need to save each snip individually as the app has the built-in ability to send snippets directly to Instagram*. You can choose colors and gradients for the tiles to add variety to your mosaic.
Download
Price: Free
Android
9square
Very simple app to crop photos and upload to Instagram*.
